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Denmark spearheading transformation of EU food system to achieve climate goals

The University of Copenhagen is leading a comprehensive new EU project, CLEVERFOOD, that will facilitate a society-wide mobilisation of European citizens to transform the European food system that benefits climate, sustainability, biodiversity and public health. „Current and future crises, including climate crisis, food crisis, biodiversity crisis and health crisis are inextricably linked to the way we produce food. Thus, the time has come to make a radical change, where all EU countries make a concerted effort to transform our food system by making it more fair, sustainable, circular and plant-based,“ says Associate Professor Christian Bugge Henriksen of the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences.

Can rotation in potato varieties prolong resistance to late blight?

Potato production worldwide relies on fungicides to control late blight. In a new project, funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, researchers from Aarhus University will investigate whether rotation of potato varieties with different forms of resistance could be a future strategy to manage late blight. If successful, this would be a major step towards the EU’s goal of halving pesticide use by 2030. „This high consumption is unsustainable for environmental reasons and counterproductive to the EU objective of halving pesticide use by 2030. There is therefore an urgent need to find new and innovative ways to reduce the need and consumption of fungicides in potato production,“ explains Associate Professor Kim Hebelstrup from the Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University.

Can animals also get into "flow"?

The good feeling when we are completely absorbed in a task and forget everything around us is called flow. BOKU researcher Sara Hintze and a colleague have now published a conceptual study in the scientific journal „Biological Reviews“ that addresses the question of whether animals can also experience this state in which everything feels coherent? The recently published theoretical study is an important first step for practical research on flow in animals. With the increasing demands of our society for better husbandry conditions in which animals not only do not suffer but also have a good life, the question arises as to what actually constitutes a good life. Research into flow in animals could make an important contribution to this.

Magdalena Münter

Magdalena Münter

Neben ihrem Masterstudium an der agrarwissenschaftlichen Fakultät entdeckt Magdalena die neuesten internationalen Forschungsergebnisse und stellt den Göttinger Wissenschaftler:innen die berühmten 5 Fragen. Sie steckt hinter dem Instagram und Twitter Account und hält euch so auf dem Laufenden.

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